Youth Livestock Program
The 4-H Youth Livestock Program is the largest animal science project area enabling youth to develop their interest in beef cattle, sheep, meat goats, and swine in their 4-H projects. Youth learn about selection, care, and feeding of livestock, animal health, and importance of good record keeping. Emphasis for these projects continues to be focused on life skill development.
This program offers competitions such as livestock judging and stockmen's contests as well as livestock shows at the county, district, and state levels.
News and Updates
- Entry and Contest Information regarding the 2025 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest is now available! Please be aware that the 4-H Livestock Judging Contest and the FFA State Livestock Evaluation CDE are on separate dates this year.
Entries due: June 11th, 2025 at 5:00 PM
State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest | Virginia Cooperative Extension |Virginia Tech
- Information regarding the 2025 State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows, including important dates and deadlines, nomination information, and judge information.
PLEASE Make note of updated dates/deadlines for Nomination/DNA/Entry for 2025
Nomination does not equal Entry - Entries must be completed for ALL Animals coming to the State Fair of Virginia, including those who were nominated. Nomination does constitute ownership, once an animal is nominated, it cannot be shown under the name of another exhibitor. Additionally, nominated animals must not be sold through a county fair or other premium auction post-nomination, even if the animal is purchased by the exhibitor or "no-saled".
Updated rules will be available the week of May 12th.
State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows | Virginia Cooperative Extension | Virginia Tech
2025 Save the Dates
- February 21 - 22, 2025 - Block and Bridle Stockmen's and Livestock Judging Contest Weekend
- March 1, 2025 - State 4-H and FFA Meats EvaluationContest
- March 22, 2025 - MC Stockman Livestock Judging Contest
- March 26, 2025 - State 4-H/FFA Skillathon Contest
- April 17 - 19, 2025 - State Youth Cattle Working/Beef Expo
- May 15 - SFVA Youth Livestock - DNA Packet Ordering System Open
- June 23, 2025 - State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest
- July 1 - SFVA - Deadline for Mailing/Postmark DNA Samples to VA Tech
- July 1 - SFVA - Deadline for completing Online Nomination through FairEntry
- July 1 - SFVA - Ownership deadline for all REGISTERED Breeding Livestock
- July 2 - SFVA Youth Livestock Entry System will Open in Fair Entry
- August 15 - SFVA - Entry Deadline for ALL ANIMALS in Fair Entry
- October 1 - 5, 2025 - SFVA Youth Livestock Shows
A skillathon contest is a comprehensive test of livestock knowledge including identification classes of meats, feeds, equipment and breeds; evaluation classes of meats, hay, sheep, swine, and beef; a knowledge-based quiz; and an applied team problem.
- State Skillathon Contest
- Block & Bridle Skillathon Contest
- State Fair of Virginia Skill-a-thons
- Other Extension Sponsored Stockmen's Contests
Livestock judging contests consist of market and breeding animals, including beef, meat goats, sheep, and swine. Participants rank the animals in the classes, answer questions on chosen classes, and deliver sets of oral reasons from memory.
- State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest
- Block & Bridle Livestock Judging Contest
- Other Extension Sponsored Livestock Judging Contests
Livestock Judging Contest Resources
Meats judging contests consist of retail meat identification and judging of retail meat cuts and carcasses. Retail meat identification consists of identifying the species, primal cut, retail cut and cookery method. Judging requires the participants to rank the meat in the classes, answer questions on chosen classes, and deliver sets of oral reasons from memory.
Youth Poultry Judging offers youth the ability to rank classes of production hens and market broilers, and give oral reasons from memory on one or two of the classes. They grade ready-to-cook broiler carcasses, turkey carcasses, candled eggs, broken-out eggs and exterior eggs. They are also asked to identify mixed broiler parts.
- State 4-H & State FFA Poultry Judging Contest (held in conjunction with the Youth Poultry Convention)
The youth cattle working contest develops youth skills in animal management and handling. Working as a team, youth efficiently process three stocker calves utilizing Beef Quality Assurance guidelines. Regional competitions are held in the spring throughout the state; the top teams from each region then compete at the State Youth Cattle Working Contest held in conjunction with the Junior Beef Roundup.
Junior Beef Roundup (Virginia Beef Expo)
The Junior Beef Roundup is held in conjunction with the Virginia Beef Expo. This event is typically held the third weekend in April and features a variety of contests and activities for youth in the Commonwealth. In addition to youth breed shows, commercial heifer, and prospect steer shows, the Junior Beef Roundup will host the State Stockmen's Contest, State Beef Ambassador Contest, and State Youth Cattle Working Contest.
State Fair of Virginia
A culminating event for youth livestock projects, this event allows youth to exhibit their cattle, sheep, meat goats, and swine and compete in showmanship.
Date:
Location: The Meadow Event Park - Doswell, VA
Contact: Katherine Carter- (540) 231-2257 Scott Greiner- (540) 231-9159
Schedule: (coming soon)
Additional information: State Fair of Virginia official web site
Youth Beef Field Day
Youth Swine Day
Judge Like a Champion Judging Camp
- May 30 - June 1, 2025
- Rockingham County Fairgrounds - Harrisonburg, VA
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA)
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national multi-species quality assurance program for youth ages 8 to 21. An in-person YQCA workshop requires complete attendance. YQCA is the result of a collaborative effort between states that have previously offered multi-species youth livestock quality assurance programs, the National Pork Board’s Youth PQA Plus program and representatives from other national livestock groups. YQCA is designed as an annual education and certification program focused on food safety, animal well-being and character awareness for youth ages 8 to 21 producing and/or showing pigs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, market rabbits, and poultry. The program has been designed by extension specialists and national livestock program managers to ensure it is accurate, current and relevant to the needs of the animal industry and shows and is appropriate for youth.
Youth Poultry Convention
The Youth Poultry Convention offers both competition and education for those attending. Youth rank classes of production hens and give oral reasons from memory on one of the classes. They grade ready-to-cook broiler carcasses, turkey carcasses, candled eggs, broken-out eggs and exterior eggs. They are also asked to identify mixed broiler parts. The competitions are followed by fun and educational events including a youth poultry carnival for juniors and job shadowing and production tours for seniors. In 2016, youth educational tracks were available to all participants featuring a Live Production Track, Post-Production Track, Consumer Advocacy Track, and a Food Challenge Track. more>>
- Beef
- Meat Goats
- Poultry
- Swine
- Sheep
- Carcass Information
- Meats Judging
- Livestock Judging
- Stockmen's Contest
- Quiz Bowl
- 4-H Member Record Book - Novice
- 4-H Member Record Book - Experienced Junior
- 4-H Member Record Book - Experienced Senior
Beef Heifer Project
- Virginia 4-H Beef Heifer Project Junior Record Book
- Virginia 4-H Beef Heifer Project Senior Record Book
Market Beef Project
- Virginia 4-H Market Beef Project Junior Record Book
- Virginia 4-H Market Beef Project Senior Record Book
Market Goat Project
- Virginia 4-H Market Goat Project Junior Record Book
- Virginia 4-H Market Goat Project Senior Record Book
Market Hog Project
- Virginia 4-H Market Hog Project Junior Record Book
- Virginia 4-H Market Hog Project Senior Record Book
Market Lamb Project
- Virginia 4-H Market Lamb Project Junior Record Book
- Virginia 4-H Market Lamb Project Senior Record Book
Sheep Flock Project
The Virginia 4-H Livestock Ambassador program, sponsored by Farm Credit of the Virginia’s, will strive to develop young leaders and advocates for the livestock industry through hands-on, experiential learning. This group of Virginia 4-H Youth will be led by the Virginia Youth Animal Science Team with leadership shared by Katherine Carter and Emmalee Edwards. The program will offer opportunities for formal leadership development, collegiate level animal science education, and will promote the mission of serving and giving back to local and statewide ag communities. The ambassador term length is one year during which ambassadors will attend trainings, ambassador meetings, and conduct service and educational activities.
Applications are now being accepted for the first cohort of Virginia 4-H Livestock Ambassadors here: Application
Virginia Youth Livestock Ambassador Guide
Contact
Katherine Carter
Extension Youth Animal Science Specialist
carterke@vt.edu
(540) 231-2257
Scott Greiner
Extension Animal Science Specialist
sgreiner@vt.edu
(540) 231-9159
Hunter Liles
Extension Youth Animal Science Associate
huntl97@vt.edu
(540) 231-6345
Related Topics
Virginia 4-H Livestock Programs Endowment
The Virginia 4-H Foundation is spearheading the advancement of the Virginia 4-H Youth Livestock Programs Endowment. 4-H livestock programming is funded through a combination of private gifts, endowment income, gifts in kind, and participant fees.